Chrysler hiring 1,100 new workers to build diesel Jeep Grand Cherokee

Last April, we received word straight from CEO Sergio Marchionne's mouth that Fiat's 3.0L V6 turbo-diesel engine would find its way to America under the hood of a Jeep Grand Cherokee by the end of 2013. That a diesel-powered Grand Cherokee would return to Jeep's lineup was great news for fans of the last version, but workers in the city of Detroit should be even more excited, as Chrysler has just announced it will add a third shift and hire 1,100 new workers at its Jefferson North Assembly Plant to help build it. Jefferson North currently employs 2,890 people and is responsible for production of the Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango.

Chrysler Group LLC Deepens Commitment to the City of Detroit with New Jobs and New Jeep® Grand Cherokee Diesel for North America

- Chrysler Group to add a third crew and 1,100 jobs to Jefferson North Assembly Plant in Detroit
- Chrysler Group to build Jeep® Grand Cherokee diesel for North America in Detroit next year
- Chrysler Group to reopen Conner Avenue Assembly Plant in Detroit, adding 150 jobs

January 5, 2012 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - Chrysler Group LLC is strengthening its ties with the City of Detroit by adding a third crew and 1,100 new jobs at its Jefferson North Assembly Plant in Detroit (JNAP), expanding the Jeep® Grand Cherokee lineup to include a diesel version for North America in the city and reaffirming plans to add 150 jobs by reopening its Conner Avenue Assembly Plant, also located in the Motor City for production of the ultimate American sports car – the SRT Viper.

"Our future, like the history of our brands, is interwoven with the City of Detroit," said Chrysler Group Chairman and CEO Sergio Marchionne. "Detroit long has been home to renowned innovators and craftsmen. So it is in the Motor City, home of our industrial heritage and a resilient people, that we are entrusting the manufacture not only of the ultimate American sports car, the SRT Viper, and the Jeep Grand Cherokee – the most awarded SUV ever – but also a diesel version of the Jeep Grand Cherokee for North American markets.

"We believe that investing in Detroit is not only the right thing to do, but it is a smart thing to do as we work to write the next chapter in our shared history," Marchionne said.

Through its new commitments in the Motor City – the city in which the Company has its earliest roots – Chrysler Group is embracing its Detroit heritage and weaving it into the fiber of its future plans, which include producing fuel-efficient, environmentally clean vehicles, such as a Jeep Grand Cherokee diesel. And by adding 1,250 jobs at its two downtown Detroit manufacturing plants, Chrysler Group is demonstrating its belief in the passion, skill and steadfast dedication of the Motor City to build luxurious, high-quality, state-of-the art vehicles that are true to a shared heritage and aspire to create a better and sustainable future.

"We are pleased to have Chrysler Group acknowledge the contributions of the UAW here in the Motor City by relying on our workforce to produce two of its most acclaimed vehicles," said General Holiefield, UAW Vice President-Chrysler Department. "Our workers nationwide have had a rough couple of years along with the American auto industry and we are proud to be partners in building a future of success starting right here in Detroit."

The new third crew of approximately 1,100 jobs that Chrysler Group is adding at JNAP, home of the Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Dodge Durango, will be part of an operating pattern, called the 3-2-120 schedule, that allows each employee an additional 49 days off per year while enabling the plant an additional 49 days of annual production.

JNAP was the first Chrysler Group plant in Michigan to add a second crew of production, or about 1,100 jobs, in July 2010. It also was the first Chrysler Group plant to add new hires to its ranks. Current employment at the plant is approximately 2,890.

The new jobs and product announcements build upon Chrysler Group's existing commitment, announced last month, to reopen the Conner Avenue Assembly Plant to produce the next generation SRT Viper. With Conner's reopening, nearly 150 hourly and salaried jobs will return to the City of Detroit.

The next generation Viper will make its return to the product lineup late this year as a 2013 model. Conner employees began reporting for training and orientation in the fall.

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